HOUSTON -- Fueling more than your car. That's the message behind the new lineup of consumer marketing and advertising initiatives announced yesterday by CITGO Petroleum Corp.
The centerpiece of the new offering is the launch of the cobranded credit card, the Citi Platinum Select CITGO MasterCard. The offering hits the street on August 1 and consists of a 90-day launch offer during which consumers who apply and are approved can earn a 20% rebate on CITGO purchases for the first 60 days their account is open. Once the launch promotion ends, cardholders [image-nocss] continue to earn rebates on CITGO purchases (4%) and up to 1% on other qualified purchases. Cardholders may earn up to $50 in rebates each month. All rebates are automatically credited on the cardholder's statement against future CITGO purchases made with the card.
The debut of the cobranded card offering will be unveiled within an advertising campaign that includes national TV as well as local media in select markets and regional sports packages. This advertising schedule is one component of the multi-million dollar advertising campaign that also stems from consumer research findings.
The campaign messages hit close to home and speak to people in their communities via TV, radio, print, point-of-purchase materials and billboards in select markets, said Jennifer Moos, general manager brand development.
The campaign messages are four-pronged:
The first wave of advertising, The CITGO Story tells of CITGO's track record as a good corporate citizen in the communities in which it operates across the nation. The second wave, Tri-mark' speaks to the things that differentiate CITGO as an attractive brand choice for consumersa good deal on fuel with a neighborly approach, Moos added. The third component is themed within the Tri-mark campaign and showcases the new Citi Platinum Select CITGO MasterCard offer. The fourth element of the campaign places the accent on baseball as it celebrates the Latino contribution to America's pastime through national advertising in Major League Baseball games on ESPN Deportes and through the museum-quality traveling panel exhibit, Baseball! B aisbol!.Click here to view the campaign.
CITGO, based in Houston, is a refiner, transporter and marketer of transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals, refined waxes, asphalt and other industrial products. The company is owned by PDV America Inc., an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Petr aleos de Venezuela SA, the national oil company of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
Separately, Naperville, Ill.-based Clark Brands LLC has announced enhancements to its Clark Platinum MasterCard Program. Effective June 1, customers who apply for the card can earn up to 8% in rebates on their purchases with the card at Clark stores everyday. The more they spend on the card, the higher their rebateup to 8%.
For the first two billing cycles, all customers earn 8% in rebates on gasoline and items they purchase at Clark stores and they will earn 2% in rebates on purchases made everywhere else. After the introductory period, customers can earn up to 8% in rebates on Clark purchases, depending upon their level of total spending each month on the card. The more they purchase, the more they can earn, up to 8%. Customers will earn 1% in rebates on all other purchases. There is still no annual fee for the card.
In support of the rollout of these enhancements, Clark has developed a three-point promotional program that includes incentives for Clark locations to reduce their credit card costs, new point-of-purchase materials and price signage.
Clark has developed a simple incentive for its stores to reduce their credit card costs. Stores that submit one approved Clark Platinum MasterCard application per month pay no fees to process the Clark Platinum MasterCard the following month. This incentive is valid through Sept. 30, 2006.
New point-of-purchase materials in support of the new consumer incentives reached stores the first week in June, the company said.
Clark Brands owns the Clark family of brands. The company licenses the Clark gasoline brand and the Four Corners Coffee Brand to independent petroleum marketers and retailers.
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